


All That Matters

by SwAgAmAnDeR



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 02:31:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1841056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwAgAmAnDeR/pseuds/SwAgAmAnDeR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Joelay fic where Ray feels insecure about his and Joel's relationship but Joel is there to reassure him</p>
            </blockquote>





	All That Matters

The realization hit Joel like a slap to the face.

Ray was embarrassed by him.

The clues were cascading into Joel's brain like a harsh waterfall and sliding ~~perfectly~~ horribly into place.

How Ray always comes up with an excuse to not hold Joel's hand in public. How last Friday Ray refused to let Joel show any affection towards him, or vice versa, at Michael's party. How the Achievement Hunters didn't find out they were dating until Joel slipped into their office during an AHWU one day and kissed him from behind. How Ray tried to play it off Joel just being weird until the older man decided to kiss him again. How that footage, as well as any other mentions of their relationship, is always mysteriously cut out of videos.

The thing that triggered the final realization for Joel was at dinner last night when he asked Ray if he would ever get to meet his parents.

"Nah," Ray's casual response came to quick.

"Why not?"

Ray shrugged, "Well, for one, they live in New York. Do you know how much it costs to just fly there?"

"I know, I do a lot of traveling. But we've been dating for a long time, we live together, and maybe it's just me, but I think things are getting pretty serious between us. You met my parents last Christmas, and I'd love to meet yours," Joel put on his smoothest voice, hoping to coax the younger man into accepting.

"I don't know Joel, they can be pretty... _weird_ sometimes," Ray's leg was practically vibrating out of nervousness.

"Do you remember how weird my parents were?" Joel laughed, "Don't worry about yours. I would still love to meet them,"

Ray was silent as the gears began to turn in his boyfriend's head.

"Are they..." Joel gulped, "Not accepting of us?"

Ray had never mentioned anything about his parents being homophobic, but then again he hadn't really ever mentioned them being allies, either.

"No, no," Ray shook his head quickly, "They're fine with gay people, but..."

The silence was anything but quiet, the two lovers' minds shouting out assumptions, fears, risks, until Ray's body deflated as he sunk down and set his forehead in his hands. "Look, Joel..." He looked into his boyfriend's eyes for a split second before turning away again out of shame, fear.

Joel couldn't hear what Ray whispered next. Or maybe he just didn't want to.

"What was that?"

"I haven't told them yet, Joel,"

His heart sank as he realized for the first time that maybe Ray wasn't as enthusiastic about their relationship as he was, "Oh."

The meal was finished with mentions of weather reports that neither of them cared about and no eye contact. Joel offered to wash the dishes. Ray let him.

Even though they spent time together the rest of the night like they always did, they did not see each other.

At 11:30 Ray announced that he was not tired and would just spend the night editing videos. His bag full of Achievement Hunter supplies was hanging over a chair in the kitchen. This was somewhat common for the insomniac, however he hadn't done an all-nighter in atleast a month and a half. When he did, though, he wouldn't even get a little bit of sleep.

When Joel awoke in the morning he found Ray asleep on the couch, his bag still hanging off of the chair in the kitchen.

* * *

The next day, Joel waited for Ray to get home from work.

It was one of Achievement Hunter's busy days, and Joel got home a whole three hours before Ray did.

Ever since his big realization last night, Joel knew that he needed to confront Ray, but even after three hours to himself, he had no idea how.

His mind danced around the options. He could be blunt. He could write him a note. He could ask Michael to tell him. He could not tell him at all.

His alone time flew by quickly, and suddenly Ray was walking through the door with Chinese food in his hand, forcefully knocking Joel from his thoughts.

Ray greeted him with a kiss that Joel was sure would not have happened if someone else was with them, "I'm gonna go set this stuff in the kitchen, alright?"

Joel followed him, knowing it was now or never. He cleared his throat as Ray set down the bag and began to move towards the silverware drawer, "We need to talk."

The Puerto Rican froze and looked at his boyfriend, "Is everything O.K?"

Joel gulped as they sat down across from each other at their kitchen table. He took a deep breath before speaking, "Ray, you would tell me if things weren't working between us, right?"

Ray's eyebrows came together in confusion, "Yeah, of course,"

Joel sighed, "Then why haven't you yet?"

The young man blinked, "Huh? I don't-"

"I know you're embarrassed by me, Ray. Can you pleas just-" Joel squeezed his eyes shut as if that would make all of the problems go away "tell me why?"

Ray's long silence was met by Joel's frustration, "Come on. You ignore me in public, half of our friends still don't know we're dating, and we've been living together for three months yet your parents still don't know I exist," Joel's hand fell from the air, "I know something's not right. Please tell me,"

Ray shook his head, his eyes closed, "I'm not embarrassed by you. I've just...never had a boyfriend before,"

Joel exhaled, on the verge of getting angry, "How is this any different from dating a girl?"

Ray sighed and threw his hands in the air, "I don't know, the looks from people, the skepticism from our friends, the rude comments. You've known you were gay your whole life, Joel, but me? I'm just a 20-something year old man who only began to realize I'm gay a few years ago. And let me tell you, Joel, since I've been an ally my whole life, I've been on the outside, just _hearing_ about all the abuse that queer people go through daily, and now that _I'm_ gay and I'm on the _inside_..." His eyes watered, "I'm goddamn scared,"

Joel stared at him, a whole new light being shown onto the younger man. How did he get so lucky? He reached out and took his boyfriend's hand into his own, "You can't listen to them, babe. I know it's hard to believe, but they don't know what they're talking about. If you want to wait to tell people, that's fine, but please let me know. I won't get offended, I've been dealing with this my whole life," Joel smiled at Ray, and in return the younger man let out a sob that Joel assumed was out of relief, "I love you, you love me, and that's all that matters."

**Author's Note:**

> Yay for cheesy endings  
> Thank you to the anon who sent me the prompt at swagamandersabode.tumblr.com  
> I hope you all like it, this was somewhat rushed because I have no idea how old the prompt is since tumblr decided to not tell me I got something in my ask box, and for once a fic of mine has a happy ending (sort of)  
> As per usual, comments and constructive criticism is highly appreciated  
> Have a nice day :)


End file.
